LAS VEGAS— "Justins" was served Saturday by the BYU defense, as Justin Maddux collected three of the unit's five sacks and Justin Luettgerodt snagged his second interception in as many games and one of the team's three picks in the 55-14 victory over UNLV.
But it was more than a two-man show for the Cougars, with Maddux and Luettgerodt quick to credit others. Spencer White finished with an interception and a team-high seven tackles (including four solo stops), Kayle Buchanan grabbed the other pick, Cameron Jensen knocked down a pair of passes, and the Y. defense logged eight tackles for losses while holding the Rebels to just 2 yards net rushing.
"It feels like everything came together," said Maddux, adding "it's a great feeling — everybody can count on everybody else."
Yes, the Cougars allowed 329 yards passing to UNLV quarterback Jarrod Jackson. But after BYU watched opponents set school passing records in the two previous weeks, it was a foregone conclusion the Rebels would throw against a much-maligned secondary.
The Cougars countered with a three-interception performance — the second three-pick game in as many weeks after the team had collected a total of one through the first seven games.
"There's been a big emphasis, despite what people and critics may think," said BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall, mindful that "where the turnovers were created, it created scoring opportunities."
The three interceptions gave BYU the ball at or inside the Rebel 40 each time; the offense converted all three into touchdowns.
"It's just persistence — you can't give up," said Luettgerodt, "and now we're seeing the rewards of our work, and that's turnovers."
The senior linebacker's interception came as he stepped in front of a receiver, snagged Jackson's pass and returned it 28 yards.
"I was reading the quarterback's eyes . . . it seemed like I ran 55 yards to get 5 yards," said Luettgerodt, who was a JC teammate/roommate of Jackson and admitted to doing his share of "jibber-jabbing" to his friend on the field.
"I've never been an interception guy — I just like hitting," he said, adding that after his pick against Air Force last week, "it was something I really wanted — to get another."
Maddux, who collected back-to-back sacks early in the second half, acknowledged the efforts of defensive-front mates Manaia Brown and Vince Feula.
"We started to get into a groove," he said, adding of the consecutive sacks, "I had to work for one, but Manaia called the other one . . . those guys (Brown and Feula) take up a lot of space, so if you don't get through the holes they leave, something's wrong."
Maddux now has a team-high five sacks of the Cougars' season-total 17.
Speaking of 17, the Cougars' three interceptions and the zero turnovers committed by the Y. offense has BYU now standing even in turnover margin — 17 turnovers committed, 17 turnovers recovered this fall. Two weeks ago, the Cougars were at a minus-9 in turnover margin, which ranked No. 101 in the NCAA.
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